Great Falls weather in December: Great Falls, Montana: normal highs, lows, rain and records for December
Great Falls in December has a normal high of 36°F and a normal low of 16°F, a daily mean of 26°F, falling from 38°F on the 1st to 35°F by the 31st. Measurable precipitation falls on 7 days in a normal December, 0.53 inches in all. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a normal high of 2°C and low of −9°C, 13 mm of precipitation and 24 cm of snow in December.
- NOAA stationGreat Falls Airport
- Station IDUSW00024143
- Location47.47°N 111.38°W
- Elevation3,664 ft (1,117 m)
- From the center4 miles
- Population60,013
- Jan 35° 15°
- Feb 37° 15°
- Mar 46° 22°
- Apr 55° 30°
- May 65° 38°
- Jun 73° 46°
- Jul 84° 51°
- Aug 83° 50°
- Sep 72° 43°
- Oct 57° 33°
- Nov 44° 24°
- Dec 36° 16°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
How warm is Great Falls in December?
The normal high is 36°F and the normal low 16°F, for a daily mean of 26.0°F. December is 7.6°F cooler than November and 0.8°F warmer than January. December is the 11th warmest month of the year in Great Falls and the 12th wettest. Across the month the normal high falls 3°F, from 38°F on December 1 to 35°F on December 31. From one year to the next December's mean temperature typically moves about 6.2°F either way (NOAA's standard deviation), so roughly two Decembers in three average between 20°F and 32°F.
Bars above: each day's normal high to low. Columns below: the chance of 0.01 inch or more of precipitation that day, on a scale of 0 to 100% (highest 23%).
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 38°F | 20°F | 20% | 6% |
| December 8 | 37°F | 18°F | 20% | 6% |
| December 15 | 35°F | 16°F | 21% | 6% |
| December 22 | 35°F | 15°F | 22% | 6% |
| December 31 | 35°F | 15°F | 23% | 6% |
Every day of December: normal high, low and chance of precipitation (warmest afternoon December 1, coldest night December 28)
| Day | High | Low | Chance of 0.01 in | Chance of 0.10 in | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 38°F | 20°F | 20% | 6% | 8 h 50 min |
| December 2 | 38°F | 19°F | 20% | 6% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 3 | 38°F | 19°F | 20% | 6% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 4 | 38°F | 19°F | 20% | 6% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 5 | 37°F | 19°F | 20% | 6% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 6 | 37°F | 18°F | 20% | 6% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 7 | 37°F | 18°F | 20% | 6% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 8 | 37°F | 18°F | 20% | 6% | 8 h 40 min |
| December 9 | 36°F | 17°F | 20% | 6% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 10 | 36°F | 17°F | 20% | 6% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 11 | 36°F | 17°F | 20% | 6% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 12 | 36°F | 17°F | 20% | 6% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 13 | 36°F | 17°F | 21% | 6% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 14 | 35°F | 16°F | 21% | 6% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 15 | 35°F | 16°F | 21% | 6% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 16 | 35°F | 16°F | 21% | 6% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 17 | 35°F | 16°F | 21% | 6% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 18 | 35°F | 16°F | 21% | 6% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 19 | 35°F | 15°F | 22% | 6% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 20 | 35°F | 15°F | 22% | 6% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 21 | 35°F | 15°F | 22% | 6% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 22 | 35°F | 15°F | 22% | 6% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 23 | 35°F | 15°F | 22% | 6% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 24 | 35°F | 15°F | 22% | 6% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 25 | 35°F | 15°F | 22% | 6% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 26 | 35°F | 15°F | 22% | 6% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 27 | 35°F | 15°F | 23% | 6% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 28 | 35°F | 15°F | 23% | 6% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 29 | 35°F | 15°F | 23% | 6% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 30 | 35°F | 15°F | 23% | 6% | 8 h 30 min |
| December 31 | 35°F | 15°F | 23% | 6% | 8 h 30 min |
- Normal high
- 36°FDecember average
- Normal low
- 16°FDecember average
- Precipitation
- 0.53 inmonth total
- Days with precipitation
- 70.01 inch or more
- Snowfall
- 9.6 inmonth total
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 27
- Daylight
- 8 h 50 min to 8 h 30 minDecember 1 to December 31
- Sunshine
- 66%of clear-sky sunlight (NASA)
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily normals, station USW00024143; monthly normals. Daylight is computed from the place's latitude with NOAA's solar equations.
Does it rain or snow in Great Falls in December?
On a given December day the chance of 0.01 inch or more is 21% on average, highest around December 30 (23%). In all, 0.53 in falls on 7 days of a normal December.
In a normal December in Great Falls, 27 nights fall to freezing, 10 days stay below freezing all day and snowfall averages 9.6 inches.
Snow falls on 7 days in a normal December, and an inch or more covers the ground on 11 days.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 daily and monthly normals, station USW00024143.
How humid and windy is Great Falls in December?
At 3 p.m. the normal temperature is 29°F with 53% relative humidity and a dew point of 14°F; at 6 a.m. it is 22°F with 65% humidity. The wind averages 13.4 mph, most often from the southwest in the afternoon. A dew point under 50°F feels dry.
| Time | Temperature | Dew point | Humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 a.m. | 22°F | 12°F | 65% | 13.2 mph | 62% |
| 9 a.m. | 22°F | 12°F | 64% | 13.0 mph | 61% |
| noon | 28°F | 14°F | 55% | 15.0 mph | 62% |
| 3 p.m. | 29°F | 14°F | 53% | 14.7 mph | 60% |
| 6 p.m. | 25°F | 13°F | 61% | 12.8 mph | 66% |
| 9 p.m. | 23°F | 13°F | 63% | 12.8 mph | 66% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00024143. Hourly normals exist only for NOAA's first-order stations; a dash where NOAA publishes no value for that hour (the sky at some hours).
What are the records for December in Great Falls?
The warmest December temperature on Great Falls's official record (since 1891) is 69°F, on December 5, 1939; the coldest is −43°F, on December 29, 1968. The wettest December brought 2.49 in (1917); the snowiest, 30.5 inches (2008).
The December mean against the 1991-2020 normal of 26.0°F: 2021 20.1°F (−5.9), 2022 17.2°F (−8.8), 2023 37.6°F (+11.6), 2024 35.4°F (+9.4), 2025 33.4°F (+7.4). 3 of 5 ran warmer than normal.
| December | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 20.1°F | −5.9°F | 0.89 in |
| 2022 | 17.2°F | −8.8°F | 0.90 in |
| 2023 | 37.6°F | +11.6°F | 0.08 in |
| 2024 | 35.4°F | +9.4°F | 0.48 in |
| 2025 | 33.4°F | +7.4°F | 0.38 in |
Source: records: ACIS, NWS threaded record GTFthr; recent months: ACIS, station USW00024143. Records and recent months use complete months only.
How does December in Great Falls compare across Montana?
Across the 141 places PlainClimate covers in Montana, December normal highs run from 22°F in Cooke City to 39°F in Geraldine; Great Falls's is 36°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals for every station in the state.
Other months and places
- Great Falls in November44°F by day, 24°F at night
- Great Falls in January35°F by day, 15°F at night
- Great Falls through the yearEvery month, frost dates, records and recent years
- Montana in DecemberThe statewide normal and the warmest and coolest places
- Geraldine: Montana's warmest Decembernormal high 39°F